Re: Cumberland Line was (long response)

["Hubert Lam" <hubert@imap4.com>]

Bill McNiven is right there...there is an absence of "Millennium" trains :-)

What they did with the November 1996 "Cumberland Line opening" timetable was
just what you said there Garry, increase the frequency. But you see what
they don't tell you in timetables is how many cars there are on a particular
service. So after the peak 8-car consists were split into 4, and 6 car
trains ran as they are. That's how they managed 15min frequency with 2 being
semi-fast (skips stations from Nth Strathfield--Meadowbank + Denistone) and
2 being dead slow (all stops).

All failed when passengers were expecting nice long 8 car trains to take up
the whole length of the platform. Instead they had to run to where the 4 car
train stopped and then get on. And then they find there aren't any seats
left and have to stand all the way from Eastwood to Strathfield on an all
stations train!!!

The train that I get when school ends at 3pm was 8 car T set before (and
now). When Nov96 timetable came in, 500 or so kids had to cram into a 4-car
T set...and that wasn't the end. 100 would get off at Pennant Hills and
Beecroft, followed by a whole horde of 700 or so pink elephants (Cheltenham
Girls' High) stampeding into the 4-car train. What was worse is that it was
changed from being fast to all stations, making those students that alight
at smaller stations cram into the train as well instead of waiting for the
next one........

and for the few months the timetable was in operation, the train never
arrived less than 10-15 min late by the time I got off at Burwood.


another significant problem for the Main North is the overtaking movements
scheduled. Whenever you have something as such there are bound to be
problems--the suburban train is bound to be late when the intercity one is!
however the strangest thing is that knowing that freight is faster than
all-stops passenger services, the frieght ALWAYS waits for the all stops
passenger services to overtake at a convenient location!

Garry Hoddinett <hoddos@netspace.net.au> wrote in message
84ohn7$2bgu$1@otis.netspace.net.au">news:84ohn7$2bgu$1@otis.netspace.net.au...
>
> Hubert Lam <hubert@imap4.com> wrote in message
> 84nkv9$ab8$1@news1.mpx.com.au">news:84nkv9$ab8$1@news1.mpx.com.au...
> > Main North has the most intercity (ie Gosford/Wyong/Newcastle) trains
> > running on it though--it is as frequent as suburban services in the off
> > peak. Plus the goods trains that must pass through...it makes it really
> > difficult to maintain punctuality on the line.
>
> Intercity services in the Off Peak run at 2 per hour and alternate between
> stopping at Epping and Eastwood.  This still gives a lousy service to
these
> stations leaving the rest of the line a very poor 30 minute off peak
> frequency.  Freight trains are still infrequent in the whole scheme of
> things so I don't think they can be an excuse for a poor off peak service.
> Further, up freight train services are faster than the suburban trains.
As
> the line handles a considerably enhanced peak hour service then it should
be
> able to handle 2 additional off peak services per hour with no problems.
>
>